Wilderness & environmental medicine
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Wilderness Environ Med · Dec 2012
Case ReportsSoft tissue foreign body removal technique using portable ultrasonography.
Retained foreign objects account for as much as 2% of soft tissue injuries sustained in the wilderness. Subcutaneously embedded fragments are often missed during the initial medical evaluation and may result in morbidity secondary to delayed removal. ⋯ We present 2 case reports that demonstrate the value of ultrasonography in detecting and successfully removing foreign bodies sustained in the wilderness, and outline a procedural technique that minimizes morbidity and uses equipment available in wilderness medical field kits. We propose that with the advent of portable and handheld ultrasound units, foreign body removal in the field has become feasible and may decrease the morbidity of soft tissue injuries, particularly in austere and wilderness environments with limited access to immediate medical care.